


Out of Sleep

by holdyourbreathfornow



Category: Who Killed Markiplier? - Fandom, jacksepticeye, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Go check it out it’s really good, Hurt/Comfort, Jealousy, Mentally unstable character, Part of doctordiscord’s Dad AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-21
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:08:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21512029
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/holdyourbreathfornow/pseuds/holdyourbreathfornow
Summary: The district attorney tried to stop Celine.  They cared about her, she was family.  Of course, she must not feel the same way if she was willing to let them fall from a second story balcony...
Relationships: Celine (Who Killed Markiplier?)/Wilford Warfstache (One sided), Darkiplier/Wilford Warfstache, District Attorney (Who Killed Markiplier?) & Darkiplier, District Attorney (Who Killed Markiplier?) & Wilford Warfstache, Markiplier & Jacksepticeye
Comments: 28
Kudos: 88





	1. What We do for Family

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Doctor_Discord](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doctor_Discord/gifts).



“A toast to the grooms!” The district attorney stood and lifted their glass, waiting until everyone else had as well before they began to speak. “You two are a couple of the best friends I could ever ask for, and we’ve been hanging out and making mischief since we were old enough to walk.” The audience laughed and the attorney’s grin grew a little wider. “Course, as far as anyone knows now, we’re all respectable adults. So if y’all could keep the truth to yourselves, that would be greatly appreciated.”

The attorney lowered their glass slightly and became serious as they turned to the newly weds. Damien met their eyes, his own shining with happiness as he leaned into Wil’s side, Wil watching the attorney from where his face was pressed into Damien’s hair.

“As a tool of the legal system, I’ve seen a lot of awful things. There are times when I worry I’ll never see anything good again. The light seems to disappear behind the fog.” They cleared their throat and swiped roughly at their eyes. “But the two of you have found each other. You’ve taken the light and used it to light your way into the future.” The attorney grinned as they looked out over the sea of people, some of whom had tears shining in their eyes, and lifted their glass once more. “And I, for one, couldn’t be more proud.”

Later, at the reception, the attorney was cornered by Damien, who had probably had a few too many. His eyes were still clear, but he staggered slightly on his feet and clung to their sleeve as he talked to them.

“I wanted to say thank you for the wonderful speech! Hardly a dry eye left in the place.”

“Not my plan, but I’m happy to be of service.” The attorney smiled at their drunk friend before glancing around. “Where is your new husband?” 

“My sister has rather filled up his dance card.” Damien sounded bitter. The attorney couldn’t blame him. They glanced across the reception hall, in actuality the ballroom of the Iplier manor, to where Celine had her hands clinging to Wil’s hips, the man looking supremely uncomfortable as the woman kept gazing at him with hooded eyes.

“Maybe you should go put a stop to that?” The attorney suggested, turning back to their friend. “It is late and you are approaching maximum drinking capacities, captain.”

“A good idea from a good friend.” Damien tugged the attorney into a hug before pushing off the wall and beginning to make his way through the crowd. They grinned as they watched him walk.

“Now if only he’d sober up before the end of the night.”

As soon as Damien reached his sister and husband, Wil lit up. He pried his hands away from Celine and laced them with Damien’s open ones, the couple talking quietly between themselves. Celine’s expression flickered between being falsely happy and openly murderous. The attorney didn’t like that expression, and so quietly disposed of their drink.

Damien and Wil left the hall, leaving Celine the only person standing alone on the dance floor. She scowled again and made a bee line for the drinks table. The attorney crossed their arms and quietly watched.

When she sat down at a table, alone except for a couple bottles of wine, they walked over and sat down across from her. Celine’s eyes shot up and the attorney tried not to flinch under her drunken, calculating stare. 

“Hello, Celine.”

“I don’t know why you’re talking with me. I thought you were Mark’s friend?”

“I’m your friend too, Celine.” They tried to reach across the table, towards her, but their hand froze when she leaned away, grimacing at them like they were some diseased thing. “Celine, this has to stop.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, old friend.” Celine spat the last words like venom and they flinched before they exhaled, imagining their spine was filling with liquid steel.

“I mean that you must stop mooning over Wilford. He and Damien are  married , Celine, and there is no longer room for you in that equation, not that there ever was to begin with.”

“What do you know?” Celine scoffed and you got to your feet, slamming your hands on the table. The sound echoed like a gunshot in the emptying hall.

“Apparently more than you, Celine! Wil has never wanted you! He and Damien are happy! Now you need to shut up and butt out!” Celine’s eyes flashed dangerously and she swept the wine bottle off the table. It shattered upon impact with the ground and a shard cut into the attorney’s ankle, where the leg of the pant didn’t meet the top of their sock. 

“I deserve to be happy, don’t I?”

“Not at the expense of others, Celine, please…” They gasped out and staggered after her as she fled from the ballroom and up to the second story. There was a separate tower where Damien and Wil were having their wedding night, and a pair of glass doors leading to a balcony overlooking the gardens was open to let in the summer night breeze. A storm was starting to brew, and clouds roiled overhead.

The attorney caught up with Celine next to the balcony doors and buried their nails deep enough into her arm that she cried out and spun to grapple them.

“Celine... stop. These are your brothers. We’re your family!”

“You’re nothing to me.” She snarled and pushed, sudden and fierce. The next series of events seemed to happen in snapshots, the lightning flashing as the storm broke. 

The attorney’s back hit the railing of the balcony.

Celine turned away from them, continuing on down the hall.

They kept falling back, beyond the safety of the railing.

She reached for the bedroom door.

Their feet left the ground and they desperately reached up to the sky.

She opened the door, just as

They hit the ground.

-

On a couple’s wedding night, all attention is on them, as it should be. That is why that when screaming and yelling and the sounds of fighting came from the newly weds’ room, everyone rushed to their aid.

That is also why no one discovered the attorney lying on the muddy garden ground until the next morning, long after the traumatized couple had left for their honeymoon.

-

“So you’re house sitting, huh?” Sean asked laughingly as he glanced around the foyer of the manor. Mark laughed as well as he hung his coat on the row of hooks.

“Yeah. Originally, it was going to be Yan, but after the whole mess last night, Wil asked if I could.”

“Yeah, heard the bitch went crazy and attacked them.”

“And now she’s securely in jail.” Mark exhaled and Sean followed him into the kitchen, where he pulled a couple Cokes out of the giant fridge.

“Still, I’d be majorly creeped out. Staying in the same house where an attack happened?” Sean shuddered dramatically. “No, thank ya. Plus, what happens when the bitch gets outta jail?”

“Hopefully she won’t. Wil and Dark have this friend who’s the District Attorney. They apparently witnessed everything, so I guess they’ll help build the case? Not really sure, honestly.”

“Cool.” Attention span used up, Sean wandered out of the kitchen. “So I heard this place has a giant-ass garden. Is that true?”

“I dunno.” Mark followed after him as the two headed for the back of the house. “I’ve never seen them.”

“Time to change that!” Sean threw the door open and stepped out. Instantly his foot sank into the mud and he recoiled in disgust. “Gross, gross, gross…” Mark laughed.

“C’mon, Sean, don’t be a baby! Let’s take a walk through the garden!” He took a couple more steps, enough to get past the patio walls, and he stopped dead in his tracks. “Oh Jesus.”

“What, some mud get in your sock?” Sean asked sarcastically, but his brow furrowed in confusion when Mark didn’t respond. “Mark, man, you alright?”

“Call an ambulance.” Mark told Sean, the Coke slipping from his lax fingers as he ran forwards. Sean’s eyes widened in shock and he peered around the wall. As soon as he saw what Mark had seen, he cursed and started pulling his phone from his pocket. 

The attorney was lying in the grass, their bloody face turned up to the night sky, breath stuttering in their chest as they fought to survive.


	2. Helping the Helpless

When the coma patient opened their eyes, the first thing they did was start choking on the tube shoved down their throat. They wheezed as they fought with the device, and the heart monitor attached to them started wailing. 

Hurried footsteps sprinted down the hall, and two nurses burst into the room.

“Oh my god.” The first nurse, a short woman with pink hair, muttered as she darted forward and carefully began removing the tube from the patient’s throat. “Okay, sweetie, just stay calm. Breathe for me. I know this sucks, but we… Are done!” Triumphantly, she pulled the tube free. The other nurse, a tall man wearing his black hair in a bun, helped the patient sit up and cough. 

“Run and get the doctor. This is the priority patient.” The woman nodded and left the room again as the man helped the patient settle back against the pillows. “Okay, kiddo, my name’s Cedric. Is it okay if I ask you a few questions?” The patient nodded.

“What is your name?” They opened their mouth, but the words didn’t come out. They frowned and made a frustrated noise in the back of their throat. Every time they tried to say their name, it evaporated from their mind like mist. They couldn’t remember their own name. Who were they? Who would take care of them? Who-? 

“Okay, breathe.” Cedric helped the patient push their head forward between their knees, every muscle in their body screaming at the movement. “You’re having a panic attack. Breathe in… And out.” Cedric watched them until they calmed down and then he stepped back. “Okay, I wanna test your speech abilities. Count to five, as slow as you need to.”

-

“Okay, who’s ready for movie night?” Dark asked as he held up the popcorn bowl. His kids and husband cheered raucously and Dark grinned as he picked his way around blankets and pillows until he could safely sit down on the couch between the Host and Eric, Wil curled up on Eric’s other side. “Snack check.”

“We’re good!” Dr. Iplier called and Dark nodded but Wil spoke up next. 

“Bathroom check.”

“Also good.” That was Google in the nest he, the rest of the quads, and Bing had made. 

“And movie of the night is…”

“Big Hero 6!”

“With Dad providing descriptions for Host.” Silver called and Dark flashed him a thumbs-up, reaching out to tug his blind son carefully into his side. Wil clicked the movie on and the music kicked in, Dark settling in further. Host had his head tilted towards the kitchen and Chica had perked up as well, though her tail was still gently wagging so Dark wasn’t worried. 

“Dad, the kitchen phone’s ringing.” Host informed him and now that his son had pointed it out, Dark could indeed hear the tell-tale ringing sound. 

“Do you want me to pause it?” Wil asked as his husband stood and Dark shook his head, smiling at him.

“Hopefully I’ll be quick. Just do Host’s narrations and I’ll be back quick as I can.”

“Yessir.” Wil saluted and Dark snorted, standing up from the couch and picking his way out of the living room. 

He got to the phone on its last ring and plucked it out of the cradle.

“Dark Warfstache speaking.”

“Mr. Warfstache, my name is Maria. I’m with the hospital.”

“How can I be of service, Maria?”

“The priority patient is awake.” Dark froze and the phone very nearly slid from his hand. He gripped it tightly and lowered his voice.

“How long ago? How are they? What do they remember?”

“They woke up an hour ago. They can’t remember their name but they remember everything else. They have a slight stammer and they won’t be able to walk for a very long time, if ever. We’ll need to do some X-Rays with a specialist.”

“Of course. Bill all their medical needs to my office, same as usual.”

“Yes, sir. They’ve been asking about you and your husband.”

“What did you tell them?”

“That the two of you are perfectly fine and living in the manor where you had the wedding, since that’s the last thing they remember.” 

“Of course.” Dark took the phone away from his face and sat down heavily on the tile floor of the kitchen. He took a deep, bracing breath before replacing the phone. “How soon can we visit?”

“We’d like a little more time for them to re-orient, and for us to run some tests and see how they’re doing. Would a week be alright?”

“Yes, anything they need. Make sure they’re treated to the best of the hospital’s ability.”

“Of course, Mr. Warfstache. Thank you for your time.”

“Thank you.” The line went dead and Dark dropped the phone onto the kitchen counter before lightly smacking his head against the cabinet. “Holy shit.”

He wasn’t sure how long he sat there in the darkness of the room, all he knew was that Eric came in suddenly and sat on the floor next to Dark.

“Daddy, are you okay?”

“Yeah, pumpkin. I just got some good news and it’s kinda hard to process.”

“Can I sit with you?”

“Of course you can!” Dark scooped his youngest son up and gently held him in his lap, pressing a kiss into Eric’s curly hair. “I always like sitting with you.”

“...What was the news, Daddy?” 

“Okay.” Dark sighed and stood, holding Eric in his arms. “Kiddo, I think it’s time for a family meeting. We’ll have to pause the movie.”

-

“What’s this about, Dark?” Wil sat at the opposite end of the table. The manor had had a meeting room where business used to be done, but Dark and Wil had refurbished it, painting it in bright colors, getting a slightly lower table, and replacing all the stiff wooden chairs with bean bags.

“Well, kids, your dads used to be friends with the district attorney. They were a very good person, and they were there for our wedding.”

“Are they the one who gave the speech that made you and Dad cry in the wedding movie?”

“Yes. Now, when… Yan-” he paused to let the kids recoil and Bim spit out a curse that he dutifully ignored, “When Yan tried to attack us on our wedding night, the DA was there and they tried to stop her.”

“Did she kill them?” Google asked and Dark shook his head. 

“No, but she certainly came close. They fell off one of the second story balconies and laid in the garden all night. Your Uncle Mark and his friend Sean didn’t find them until the next morning, and they were in a coma since that night.”

“‘Were’?” Wil asked and Dark couldn’t hide his smile any longer. 

“The phone call I just got… Was from the hospital, telling us that they just woke up.” The room exploded into chaos, Wil leaping to his feet and running to Dark, seizing him about the waist, as the rest of the kids cheered and hollered, excited even though they had never met their honorary relative.

“You’re serious?” Wil asked, tears starting to leak out of his eyes, and Dark nodded as he wiped his husband’s tears away. 

“I am.”

“When can we go see them?” One of the kids asked, the room too noisy to know which.

“The doctor I spoke to said we’ll have to wait a week before we go visit.”

“And we’re not gonna go all at once, that’ll overwhelm them.” Wil told his kids, several of whom booed at his words, while the rest accepted them easily enough.

“Now that that’s out of the way.” Dark clasped his hands. “Who wants to go to McDonald’s before we resume the movie?”

“ME!”


	3. Tell the World I’m Coming Home

Dark didn’t think there had ever been a longer week in his life. He felt infected with a nervous energy that no matter how much cleaning or rearranging or paperwork he did, he just couldn’t get rid of.

It seemed to filter through the entire house. The Quads, who had never touched a model train in their lives, recruited Bing and Dr. Iplier to construct an accurate model of their neighborhood, even painting tiny explicit graffiti onto the Septic house down the way.

Dark loved his kids sometimes.

“Darling, if you could just…” Wil reached out and dropped his hands onto Dark’s shoulders, arresting the other man’s movements. “Please calm down, Dark.”

“How can I? We’re going to see them today! Fuck, Wil, we have so much to say to them. They’ve missed so much and-”

“I know, I know.” Wil pulled his husband into his arms and kissed the top of his head. “Remember that none of that is our fault. They’re here now, and we always take care of our own, right?” Dark nodded into his husband’s shirt.

“Right.”

“Great. Okay, you’re going to the hospital with Eric, the Quads, and the Host to pick the attorney up. The rest of the kids are helping me make sure the elevator still works so they can get around. The hospital’s providing a wheelchair, right?” 

Dark blinked, stunned into temporary silence.

“When did you become so responsible?”

“When you started freaking out.” Wil chuckled and kissed Dark’s temple before herding him out of the room. “You better get going.”

“Okay. Okay, you’re right.”

-

“Remember, you have to be quiet in here.” Google shot his father a disdainful look, instantly copied by his brothers.

“We’re not heathens, we know how to behave.” Red sighed and Eric giggled quietly as Dark’s eyebrow ticked up, the father trying to fight the smile blooming on his face. 

“Okay, Sassy Squad.” He glanced back up at the room numbers and slowed to a stop when the right one popped up. “We’re here. Host, you okay?”

“The Host will be fine in the hallway with Eric. The quads can help the attorney gather their stuff.”

“Affirmative.” Green chimed and Dark nodded, gently pushing the door open and herding the four kids inside.

A wheelchair sat by the window, the attorney sat in it. They turned to face Dark and he blinked. Their hair had grown even while they were unconscious, much longer than they liked to wear it. They were unhealthily skinny and needle marks dotted the crooks of their arms where Dark could see.

But their sunny grin was still the same, and so were their arms, outstretched for a hug. Dark hurried forwards and bent at the waist, soaking up his friend’s affections like a sun-starved flower brought into the light.

“Hello, old friend.”

“H-hi, Damien.” They had a stammer now, though Dark had been told they were lucky to be able to speak at all. Their hands twitched and spasmed on his shoulders. “And who are these young men?”

“I’m Google. These are my brothers. Green, Red, and Oliver.”

“Pleasure.” They grinned. “My name is-” Their voice failed suddenly and they huffed, frustrated. “It’s-”

“Please don’t strain yourself.” Dark urged and they nodded. “What have the nurses been calling you?” As he waited for an answer, Eric and the Host carefully came in from the hall, Dark nodding to them. 

“The priority patient.” They wrinkled their nose and Eric frowned. 

“You were a district attorney, right?” They nodded and Eric swallowed, but kept speaking. “Wh-what if we called you ‘Atty’, for short?” He clung to the Host’s hand as the attorney glanced down at their lap, everyone waiting for their answer.

“Yes, I think I’d like that. Thank you very much, young man.”

“I-I’m Eric. And this is the Host.”

“Hello.”

“Hi. Well, Damien, are you going to take me home now or not?”

“Yes, boss.” Atty giggled and Dark grinned with relief. Their sense of humor was the same as it was all those years ago. 

-

“‘Atty’, huh?” Wil grinned at them and they playfully glared up at him.

“I don’t need your permission for a nickname, Wil. Especially not one given to me by your kid.”

“Fair enough.” Wil leaned down and hugged them. “I’m happy you’re here.”

“Yeah. Me too.” Wil stood back up and Dark gently grabbed the handles of Atty’s wheelchair, rolling after Wil as he took off to the elevator.

“Let’s go see your room!” 

Atty’s room was a simple one, close to Wil and Dark’s in case of emergency. They had a bad and a low desk with a laptop open and plugged in. A couple succulents sat on their window sill and their night stand had all their perscribed medicine on it. The walls were painted a calming forest green and the corkboard above their desk had a single card pinned open to it. 

The card had all the family’s initials in it and a picture of Atty, Dark, and Wil copied to it. In big letters above the picture it simply said,

‘WELCOME HOME’.


	4. We Bond Over Things that Aren't Ordinary to Others

Atty had adjusted to life in the manor remarkably well, if they did say so themself. They couldn’t reclaim their job as the District Attorney, which had hurt, but they were more than happy to be a legal consultant for the office. 

They sat in their office, the only one in the house. Dark and Wil both had work, and the kids had school. Atty was happy to plug their phone into a speaker and play piano music as they caught up on cases that had occurred while they were… Asleep. 

Luckily they didn’t have their music turned up as loud as they usually would, otherwise they never would’ve heard the front door open. They paused, setting their pen aside and turning their music down, before they heard the sound of feet padding up the stairs. 

Atty sighed when the feet stopped right outside the door. They sat in silence for a long moment, the person on the other side scared to knock.

“Come in!” They called out and heard the owner of the mystery feet jump in shock. The handle of the door turned and it slowly pushed in to reveal Yancy, fidgeting in a black and white striped sweater. There were faint tear tracks on his face, but Atty figured he probably didn’t want them to see those. “Hi, Yancy.”

“Hi, Cousin Atty.” Yancy shuffled a little and Atty grinned.

“How do you feel about hot chocolate?”

-

Downstairs, Atty taught Yancy how to make their grandmother’s white hot chocolate, and Yancy was surprisingly adept in the kitchen. Atty stopped themself before they could start thinking about why, exactly, that was.

“So I’m not going to call the truant officers on you.” Atty told Yancy once they were both sipping at mugs full of hot chocolate. “I get needing a day to yourself sometimes.”

“Yeah.” Yancy looked out the window. “Do… Do you ever miss the way things were, sometimes? Even if the way things were was bad?”

“Hmm.” To buy themself some time, Atty took a long drink. “When I was a little kid, I had this aunt: Desdemona. Prettiest lady you ever did see, felt like the sun shone only for her some days. I always felt so drab compared to her. All my uncles were always fighting for her attention, including the ones who were married. And my mama was so jealous of her, and I think she took it out on me some days. Why can’t you behave like Desdemona? Let’s curl your hair like Desdemona. This is the college Desdemona went to.”

“What happened?” Yancy asked, enraptured, and Atty grinned. 

“I ran away from home.” The boy gasped dramatically. “I know, I know. Dumb thing to do, but I felt like all my mama’s expectations were gonna suffocate me if I didn’t get out of that goddamn house.” Yancy giggled when Atty made an exaggerated face of shock at their own cursing. “And guess what?”

“What?” 

“Desdemona was the one who came and found me. There was an old cabin in the forest that your dads and I hung out at all the time, and Desdemona somehow knew where it was. I think one of your dads told her.” Atty shrugged. “But it doesn’t matter now. Anyway, Desdemona comes walking in while I’m in the middle of crying my eyes out and she doesn’t say a single thing to me. Instead, she sits next to me and pulls me into her side. 

‘Atty’, she says to me, ‘When I was your age, I wanted to be a movie star.’ And I was so very confused, because Desdemona was an accountant, which is about as far from a movie star as you can get, unless you’re working the books for a film studio. Then she told me about how my grandmother was just as stifling as my mother, and pushed Desdemona to have a normal life, to not try too hard in case of failure. We both cried that day, I think. She cried because there was so much more she could’ve done with her life, and I cried because I still didn’t know what I wanted to do with mine.

But there was one thing she said that really stuck with me: ‘When you’re dead, all you’re going to do is think about all you could’ve done. Do your best to die with no regrets.’’’ Atty smiled down into their hot chocolate and Yancy let them have a moment before he spoke.

“What happened to Desdemona?”

“She ended up becoming a stage actress for about 15 years.” Atty winked at Yancy. “She showed up on Broadway once or twice.”

“Holy shit!” Yancy yelped and Atty cackled. When the two’s laughter finally died down, Yancy seemed a bit quiet, but he was happy, smiling at Atty as he sipped at his hot chocolate.

“So what do you want to do with your life?” Atty asked suddenly, unable to stop themself. Yancy didn’t seem blindsided by the question, instead chewing on the inside of his cheek as he thought.

“I think… I wanna be a musician.”

“Yeah?” Atty asked with a grin, and Yancy nodded, even as he smiled shyly and ducked his head a tiny bit. “Well, I think Desdemona would approve. I know I certainly do.”

“Thanks, Atty.”

“That doesn’t mean that I’m not gonna tell your dads about this when they get home, though.”

“Awwwww.”


End file.
